Residents of Hope and Dochfour listen attentively as Minister Persaud explains that alternative routes would be made available for them to access their farmlands
Some Gy$750 million is to be spent on the continued construction of the Hope/Dochfour Canal, which will be channelling water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) into the Atlantic Ocean.
This was announced by Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud when he met with the affected farmers on Wednesday, at the Hope Secondary School, ECD, to update them on the progress of work which started late last year.
When completed, the 10.3-kilometre canal is expected to eliminate overtopping of the EDWC and bring flood relief to thousands of farmlands along the Mahaica and Mahaicony Creeks and in other areas.
Persaud noted that a new phase of work has been started for the construction of the canal, and so he wanted those affected to be updated. He added that work has started at the EDWC end of the canal, but efforts are now being made to find other sections to work on. “Twelve excavators have been procured, and by tomorrow or the following day, they will be converging at different points. Another major project that would need to be done is the cutting of the road at Hope, and building a bridge such as what was done at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara.
It is reported that the Hope/Dochfour Canal would have a similar amount of water discharge as that of the canal at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara.
Persaud also noted that Gy$750 million would be spent on the next phase of the Gy$3.6 billion multi-year project. “We are moving ahead expeditiously, and we want you to be aware and updated.”
The agriculture minister also said that the flooding experience of 2005 was one of the factors that led government to think in the direction of having the canal constructed. “With the effects of climate change, we must be prepared. Look at the experiences of Australia, Sri Lanka and Brazil.”
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry, Dr Dindyal Permaul, told the approximately 50 residents in attendance that over Gy$100 million has been paid out as compensation for property, land and crops. Permaul also said that agreements have been signed by those who have agreed to be relocated to go over to their new lands.
The PS noted that the process took over two years, as there were many processes involved, such as numerous consultations; surveying of lands; ascertaining ownership of lands and properties; and valuing of lands, properties and crops.
Dr Permaul revealed that persons who had structures on their lands were also given the option of dismantling and removing them even though they would have been compensated for those structures.
Some 57 farmers and 20 homesteaders were affected by the project, which would use up some 150ft of land on both sides of the relief canal.
Meanwhile, the residents were told of the areas along the canal where work was expected to be executed, and informed of the alternative routes that they may have to use to access their farms in the interim.
The entire project comprises earthen works, and these would be done by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA). The embankment for the canal would be six feet above normal ground level, while the bed width would be 30 metres and it would be constructed of geo-textile reinforcement. The intake end of the canal will have a three-door sluice, while the discharge end to the Atlantic Ocean would have an eight-door, mechanically-operated, high level sluice.
Even though the project has been criticised for being “too expensive”, government is of the view that such should not be a bother, once it would improve the lives of a large number of people. Those expected to especially benefit would be those living or farming in Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary. There are some 30,000 hectares of farming land located within these areas, valuing about US$1,000 per hectare. This totals approximately US$30 million per year – as much as the entire project costs.
